Back at summer league, Heat’s John Crotty says, ‘I feel a lot further along as a broadcaster’

A year ago, John Crotty found himself at summer league in a similar position as the players, learning the ropes for the move into the next level of his craft.

A year later, after his first season as the Miami Heat's television analyst, Crotty returned to the Las Vegas summer league this week along with play-by-play voice Eric Reid, but this time just to take in the action.

Advertisement

No practice broadcasts this time at the Thomas & Mack Center, as there were a year ago from a makeshift television booth, just the confidence of a year under his belt in the transition from radio commentator and studio contributor.

“I feel a lot further along as a broadcaster,” the former Heat guard said. "It was a great experience this past year, working with Eric, working with Jason [Jackson]. The production team in particular really pushes us and really helped make me better overall, giving feedback, specific feedback, 'Hey, here’s something you can work on better and here’s stuff that we like that you did. Try to do more of it.’ And then just getting reps.

"Just like a player, it's like getting shots. The more you're out there doing it, you get better. I think we got into a great rhythm as a team, Eric and I. I love coming out seeing some of the folks out here, and getting to see the young players play, I think it's great knowledge for us as broadcasters."

Having been around the team for 13 years in previous broadcast roles, Crotty said the television experience was unlike his prior responsibilities.

“I think it was a lot more, just in terms of exposure, in terms of getting immediate feedback from people that maybe I hadn’t had in the past,” he said, having taken over for the highly popular Tony Fiorentino, who remains with the franchise in other duties. "And [thankfully] most of it was positive. So that was good.

"I like the performance angle of it. It reminds me as a player having to respond to having the lights on. And I like being caught up in the game. It's really cool to be able to be on the floor most of the time, that's where we're located, get lost in the game, talk about some of the subtleties that I see as a former player."

It also meant, at 48, getting back to the NBA grind, on the road for an entire season, something that had not been the case since his 11-year career ended in 2002-03 with the Denver Nuggets.

"Look, there were times it was tough," he said. "But I love to travel. I love reconnecting with people. Again, I played for seven teams over 11 years, so I've got friends and former players and people that supported me in a lot of different cities. I enjoy that.

"It's actually fun for me. I think you learn even more obviously about the team, character of different guys, how they respond when they're tired, sick, on the road, and things aren't going well. You have a little bit more of a pulse of what goes on."

Speaking of pulse, now comes the question of whether Crotty will allow his to rise with the Heat's recent acquisition of big man Meyers Leonard, perhaps to channel the "Len-ard!" call of Heat television predecessor Dr. Jack Ramsay, who famously bellowed the name when former Heat guard Voshon Lenard converted a 3-pointer.

“The Dr. Jack? That’s a good question. I don’t know,” Crotty said of the late coaching legend. “I’m going to have to talk to Eric about it, because I would never want to take anything away of the master, of Big Dr. Jack. But that would be pretty good, to have that call.”